When is a Lesson in Portuguese not a Portuguese Lesson?

Sorry we haven’t blogged for a while, the last few weeks have been a bit crazy as we've had intermittent water and lots of people have been talking to us about electricity, bombas, and things that aren't really covered in Chapters 1-3 of our exercise book. Language seems to be sinking in, but takes a lot of our time.  Whilst we are learning excellent things in lessons like how to introduce ourselves, explain directions, or order Portuguese delicacies in a café overlooking the Mediterranean,  it’s in the afternoons that the real lessons begin as we talk to the people who live and work around our apartment.  Christine may not have perfect verb endings but can discuss the day to day activities of the children’s bowel movements as required and Geoff is getting up to speed talking about water pumps and all things electrical.

 

Whilst were struggling through language and adapting to the challenges of a new culture, the children seem to have no such problem.  Isaac, when faced with a child he hasn’t met starts of by speaking in English and if there is no response reverts to the Portuguese he is picking up with ease.  Naomi (or Noémia as she is often called here) has discovered that she very much likes being in a caplana (see photo) and loves the attention she receives for saying ‘olá!’ to everyone she passes. Strangely, although she seems to have no problem understanding both languages when she is talked to about food, she ignores both when it’s about things she shouldn’t be doing...

Hopefully the bomba (pump) will be sorted soon and we’ll have a bit more free time to keep you all updated. Thanks for all the comments, emails and updates, they’re all really appreciated!

Language learning Mozambican style

Our daily routine revolves around our apartment, crèche and language school
(Satellite image ©  GoogleEarth)

Day one:

After dropping off two slightly concerned kids at their new crèche, we quickly found the concrete tower block that houses Beira’s Instituto de Línguas across town.  They said that our classroom has been upgraded especially for us, but although it had walls and several desks, there was no glass in the windows and no door in the doorframe. Not to worry though as just before the lesson started a man came to put a door in and we felt things were going to improve rapidly. 

Day two:

Day two went slightly less smoothly. After getting out late and dropping off two grumpy children, we arrived just in time for our lessons. But just as we put our bags on the table, the wind blew through the glassless window slamming the door shut.  Not a problem usually, but what we quickly noticed was that there was no door handle and we were trapped in! Our teacher tried to open the door in vain and shouted to us in Portuguese that he would get some help.  15 minutes later, with lots more shouting and far more people than seemed totally necessary, the door was opened and lessons could begin. We both decided we preferred the classroom without the door.

Day three:

The door was fixed (or more accurately, the catch was disabled) and lessons proceeded a little more smoothly. Now two weeks on, even some windows have glass in and there is only one more to fill.  As we desperately try to keep up with our teacher and Portuguese verb endings (why do they need so many!?), lessons are quickly moving forward and we are settling in to a pattern of language study and homework, punctuated of course by occasional trips to the beach or market. Both children have settled really well into their crèche; Isaac is especially fond of the big red slide in the garden. 

View from our apartment

We’re very daunted by just how much there is to learn, but we’ve been given lots of encouragement by very patient locals who have tried incredibly hard to understand our very badly constructed phrases. Fiona is already back in Angola and Lynne returns there tomorrow, so we now lose both our very handy translators. The charades of talking in the few Portuguese words we know and acting out the rest begins properly now…